SUBWAY SANDWICH LENGTH CHALLENGED

Post to company’s website shows ‘footlong’ sub, next to tape measure, to be 11 inches

What’s in an inch? Apparently, enough missing meat, cheese and tomatoes to cause an uproar.

Subway, the world’s largest fast food chain with 38,000 locations, is facing widespread criticism after a man who appears to be from Australia posted a photo on the company’s Facebook page of one of its footlong sandwiches next to a tape measure that shows the sub is just 11 inches.

More than 100,000 people have “liked” or commented on the photo, which had the caption “Subway pls respond.” Look-alike pictures popped up elsewhere on Facebook. And The New York Post conducted its own investigation that found that four out of seven footlong sandwiches that it measured were shy of the 12 inches that make a foot.

The original photo was no longer visible by Thursday afternoon on Subway’s Facebook page, which has 19.8 million fans. A spokesman for Subway, which is based in Milford, Conn., said Subway did not remove it.

Subway also said that the length of its sandwiches may vary slightly when its bread, which is baked at each Subway location, is not made to the chain’s exact specifications. “We are reinforcing our policies and procedures in an effort to ensure our offerings are always consistent no matter which Subway restaurant you visit,” a statement said.

The Subway photo — and the backlash — illustrates a challenge companies face with the growth of social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Before, someone in a far-flung locale would not be able to cause such a stir. But the power of social media means that negative posts about a company can spread from around the world in seconds.

One commenter urged people to “chill out.” Another one said she was switching to Quiznos. “Let’s all head to McDonald’s and weigh a Quarter Pounder,” suggested another poster.

Other companies have also faced such public relations headaches. Last year, a Burger King employee tweeted a picture of someone standing in sneakers on two tubs of uncovered lettuce. Domino’s Pizza employees posted a video on YouTube of workers defacing a pizza in 2009.